Improving chrome ores



Patented Aug. 16, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE No Drawing. Application September 21, 1937, Serial .No. 164,988

20 Claims.

This invention or discovery relates to improving chrome ores; and it comprises a method of making an" improved chrome ore, wherein metallic oxide ore, such as a chromite ore containing ferrous chromite, is enriched in chromium and deprived of iron by fusion with ferrochrome resulting from reduction of chromite, and whichmay contain carbon, silicon, or both, fusion being in an electric furnace and in the presence of a base to produce an ore rich in basic chromite and having a high chromiumziron ratio, the enriched ore and the low-chromium iron produced being collected as two products; all as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

In a prior and copending application Serial No.

716,433, filed March 19,1934, (Patent No. 2,098,- 1'16) wherewith the present application has certain matter in common, and of which this application is in part a continuation, I have described and claimed various ways of producing from a low-grade chromite ore unimproved chromite ore useful in producing commercial ferrochromium with a high chromiumdron ratio, now made only from overseas ores. Standard commercial ferrochromium should have not less than a 2:1 ratio of chromium to iron, lower ratios not being merchantable. As it chances, there are no available ores on the American continent which will give this 2:1 ratio or the still higher ratios demanded by the market, while at the same time having a sumciently high chromium content to render them desirable source materials for the manufacture of ferrochromium. High-grade ferrochromium should have at least a 70:30 ratio.

Such a ferrochromium can be obtained by direct total reduction of the contained metals in chromite ores from New Caledonia, Rhodesia and elsewhere but not from domestic ores. These foreign ores have a part of the FeO of the ferrous chr0- mite (FeO.Cra0a) replaced by MgO, giving a higher ratio of chromium to iron.

So far as I am aware, few, if any, natural ores of sufliciently high concentration to make them desirable raw materials for direct reduction to term-chromium, have Cr:Fe ratios as high as 77:23. By my process, however, it is possible to prepare synthetic chromite ores having Cr:Fe ratios of 77:23 and higher.

Pure ferrous chromite of the theoretical composition, on total reduction, does not give a high grade ferrochromium, the chromiumziron ratio being only 64.8:35.2. Direct fractional reduction of Fe from FeQCrzOa to give a bettered ore has not been found to be practicable. Chromite is a mineral of the spinel type and this mineral must be broken up before reduction is feasible. I dis covered, however, that if the chromite ore be melted in an electric furnace in the presence of sufficient Ca() and a reducing agent I can reduce and remove iron, leaving the CrzOa behind as 5 calcium chromite. In other words, ferrous chromite is converted into basic chromite and iron, the iron being sent out of the system.

In a specific embodiment described and claimed in the companion application, enrichment of 1c chromite ores in chromium is effected by a subtraction of iron; the iron being replaced by calcium. In making an ore yielding a :30 ratio from a chromite ore with a lower ratio, lime and coke are used to displace and reduce the desired 15 amount of iron, leaving only enough iron to give a 70:30 metal on total reduction. l

In another embodiment of the'invention set forth in my aforesaid copending application, and with which embodiment the present application is 20 concerned, improvement in the chromiumziron ratio is effected not only by subtraction of iron but also by addition of chromium, the ore being fused in an electric furnace with lime and with ferrochromium metal coming from the total re- 25 duction of another portion of chromite ore. In the total reduction gangue is slagged on. In the subsequent step, the chromium of the ferrochromium is added to the ore, reducing some of the iron therein. The iron so reduced, together with 30 the original iron of the ferrochromium, leaves the system as a byproduct, while the chromium oxidized joins that in the ore as calcium chromite, giving a basic ore melt of increased chromium content and lowered iron content; this melt con- 35 stituting the new basic ore and consisting predominantly of calcium chromite. The ideal reaction may be written as follows:

Ordinarily the reduced iron and the melt are separately tapped or poured off and leave the system as separate products, but where desired the glassy melt may be removed from the furnace 45 together with accompanying iron including that occurring in the cooled melt in the form of shot metal, the melt being subsequently cooled, ground and separated to remove metallic iron and givethe improved ore. There are marked advan- 50 tages, however, in effecting the separation of metal and ore melt by tapping or pouring them from the furnace separately.

In the equation given, the reducing agent is chromium, i. e. that supplied by the ferrochro- 55 mium used, and which is made by direct or "total" reduction of a diiierent ore or another portion of the same ore. Various reducing agents may be used, 1, e. carbon, ferrochromium, silicon, etc. In 5 one embodiment described in the stated copending application, with which the present application deals, ferrochromium is used as a'reduclng agent. In using ferrochromium coming from the total reduction of chromite ore, with slagging oil of impurities, as a means of enriching other chromite ore, a new ore is obtained carrying the chromium of both lots. The iron oi both lots leaves the system as low-chromium metal. The gangue of one lot leaves the system as slag. The ore 5 furnishing ferrochromium to be used as a reducing agent need not be a particularly rich ore nor need it necessarily have a high CrzFe ratio.

In reducing the chromite to make ferrochromium for use as a reducing agent in the subse quent improvement step, it is advantageous to form a slag having a 2:1 base-acid ratio. that is. a molecular ratio of lime and magnesia to silica and alumina equal to 2:1, lime being added in cases where the ore is not sufliciently basic in character to give such a slag. As described in my prior and copending application Serial No. 19,749, filed May 3, 1935. this adjustment of the slag ratio in making ierrochromium and a concomitant rise of temperature making this basic slag a free-running liquid, enables regular furnace operation with control of the carbon content of the metal. One of the outstanding advantages of this method of procedure is a high yield of chromium from the ore smelted. Another is the possibility oi utilizing low grade ores and concentrates.

' There are quite a variety of chromium ores available in the United States and Canada, but very few carry chromium and iron in the 2:1 40 ratio which would result. upon total reduction in the ordinary manner, in a 66 per cent ferrochromium. As stated, there are practically none with ahigher ratio. Most ores have a lower ratio and there are vast deposits in which the Cr:Fe ratio is 1:1. Moreover, there are large deposits oi ore which is poor in the sense that the total metal content thereof is low. These impure ores, like other ores, can be concentrated and freed of gangue by known washing and flotation expedients and by fine grinding and classification methods. These methods, however. are expensive and do not necessarily or often result in an improvement of the chromium:iron ratio.

Chromite is a mineral of the spinel -type,

FeO.Cr:O;. and not only is part of the FeO sometimes found replaced by MgO as in New Caledonia ores, but the CraO: is sometimes found replaced by A120: or FezOs. When the CrsO: is completely replaced by FeaOs, the result is magnetite, also a spineltype mineral. Much of the available chromite ore represents minerals somewhere intermediate chromite and magnetite. Classification and ore dressing methods are not successful in separating concentrates of higher chromium content from these ores.

In directly reducing the whole metal content of such an ore in an electric furnace. the bulk oi the ore can be discarded as a slag, and the metal recovered is, so to speak, a concentrate. -A slag is made by the addition of silica or lime. as the gangue may require. Usually I try to make a slag having 1:1 oxygen ratio between basic and acidic components. The mixture of ore and slagforming constituents is fused in an electric furnace with suilicient coke to reduce all or most of the iron and chromium, as well as CO1, and to give a slight excess. The metal and slag are topped 01! in the usual way. A typical metal concentrate made in this way from one particular ore carried chromium and iron in the ratio oi 42:48, its analysis being as follows: Cr 42 per cent, Fe 48 per cent, Bi 3 per cent and C 7 per cent.

This metal is not marketable as ferrochromium and there are considerable difllculties in the way 10 of converting it into commercial chromium-iron alloys. However, this metal represents in the present invention a useful agent for effecting enrichment of the same or more concentrated chromite ores to a point where they become mar- 15 ketable as raw materials for the manufacture of standard ierrochromium. as well as metals containing 70 per cent or more Cr. It is so used in the present invention.

In a typical embodiment of the present inven- 20 tion I improved a chromium ore not quite rich enough to give marketable ferrochromium; an are carrying chromium and iron in about a 60:40 ratio. This ore was put into reaction with such a metal concentrate, using about 1 part of con- 25 centrate to 5 parts of ore. Lime was added. Upon fusion in an electric furnace of the openare or Heroult type there was obtained a yield 01' low-chromium iron and a glassy melt consisting largely of calcium chromite and containing chro- 30 mium and iron in such proportion as would give on total reduction a ferrochromium having a chromium ziron ratio of 70:30. While batch operation is ordinarily preferred, it is sometimes advantageous to operate continuously, for exam- 5 pie in a submerged arc type furnace.

Operating in this manner. the chromium from the ore initially reduced joins the second ore to form a new basic ore melt of heightened chromium content, while the iron reduced from both 40 ores is withdrawn as such, in the form of a low chromium-iron representing a valuable byproduct.

My invention provides for considerable flexibility of operation, the results varying in accord- 4 ance with the nature of the ore or ores handled, the relativeconcentrations and amounts of the same, the relative amounts of metal concentrate and ore employed in the second, or improvement step, and the extent to which replacement and reduction of iron is carried in the second step. All of these factors may be varied over a wide range. Thus I may obtain the metal concentrate from anore, which may be one of low Cr content. and use it as reducing agent. with or without an additional reducing agent such as carbon, in the improvement of the same ore or of a diflerent ore.

The invention is not limited to the use of any particular chrome iron ore in the second step. m although it is especially useful for the improvement of certain ores of fairly high chromite content but falling somewhat short of the desired 2:1 ratio of chromium to iron. When high-chromium metal, or pure chromium is desired, as an 65 end product.in the reduction of the improved ore. the ore used in the second step (treatment with a metal concentrate), may be one having a chromium to iron ratio in excess of 2:1. for example a high-grade New Caledonia ore. 7

As has been explained. ores of this type are ordinarily rich in M80, the 16:0 being combined with Ci'aOs. Other ores used in the beneflciating step may also contain fairly high percentages of MgO, present as MgCOa. In the beneiiclating 75 step, the amount oi lime added is ordinarily such as to give a ratio oi basic constituents (CaO, MgO) to acidic constituents (810:, AlaOalequal to from 1.75:1 to 2:1, or even higher. However, even where the ore contains a high content of MgO and even where the magnesium is largely present as magnesium carbonate and hence has the eiIect or an added base, it is advantageous to add lime in the beneilciating step. The addition 01 lime protects the furnace lining and has the eilect of giving a higher Cr:Fe ratio in the final ore product than would be possible otherwise.

While an object achieved in each and every instance of the invention is an improvement in the Cr:1 'e ratio of the ore treated in the second or improvement step, always resulting in the production oi a final ore product rich in CH: and

having a Cr:Fe ratio in excess 01' 2:1, it will be apparent that the utility of my process is not confined, as to either step, to the treatment of ores having a CrzFe ratio lower than 2:1. The ore used in either or both steps may have a higher ratio.

From the foregoing, it will be clear that an important advantage and utility of the process resides an the concentration effected in the first step, whereby ore gangue is slagged 0t! and removed. The iinal synthetic ore made with the aid of a metal concentrate and a natural ore contains whatever gangue may be present in the system. Insofar as gangue is slagged of! in making the concentrate the gangue content oi the synthetic ore is reduced. This makes it possible to handle ores of low concentration, while producing a final ore product not only having a high CrtFe ratio but containing a high content of Cr as CrzOs, largely or entirely in the form oi CaQCrzOa. The concentration is effected in a simple and economic manner. In one way 01' looking at this invention the gangue of part of the ore is removed as slag, giving a low gangue ratio when the metal oi this part is added to second part of ore.

Thus, starting with an ore A, having a low total chromium content and a Cr:Fe ratio lower than 2: 1, wholly reducing this oreA and discarding the gangue as slag, and using the metal "concentrate" as a reducing agent (with lime) for the treatment or an ore B also having a Cr:l"e ratio lower than 2:1, it is possible to produce a final synthetic ore having a Cr:1"e ratio 01' 70:30 or higher, and also containing a higher percentage of Cr than either ore A or ore B, and hence representing an extremely advantageous source material for the manufacture of high-grade ferrochromium by reduction in the ordinary manner.

As I have discovered, by melting chromite ore of unmarketabie grade in an. electric furnace with a ierrochromium made as described, and with enough CaO to take care of the CrzOa contained originally in the ore as well as that formed by oxidation of the chromium in the i'errochromium I can produce a marketable ore of any desired highgrade. Any desired proportion 01' iron may be removed, and in fact the reduction and removal of iron may be carried to the point where the product represents a calcium chromite ore free of substantially all iron.

It is possible to make the described chrome ore concentrate by first producing high carbon terrochromium of any chromium content from natuml chrome ore and then oxidizing the chromium siiica bath which may be formed by fluxing the usual silica oi the iron ore with lime in a ratio 01' 1.75 to 2 CaO to 1 810:. In principle the 0peratlon is the same, the diilerence being that the ore used in oxidizing metallic chromium contributes no chromium to the final ore. But the result oi an improved ore of a high cure ratio with some or much of the CrzO: occurring as calcium chromite, is the same. The chromium otthe terrochromium is oxidized and the iron oxide is reduced under basic conditions. The products are a basic chromite ore melt high in chromium and a low-carbon iron alloy, low in chromium. The preparation of the altered chrome ore in this way can however be regulated and adjusted by proportioning the ferrochromium and iron ore so as to produce a substantially iron-tree chrome ore melt and an underlying metal suiiiciently high in chromium to allow its use in making commercial chromium steels and irons of various kinds. In fact the process can be so carried out as to give the proper chromium content in the reduced iron for any particular ferrous chromium alloy; it being subsequently necessary only to add to the separated metal the customary deoxidizers and other desired constituents.

In employing FeaO: in the manner described, a certain amount of oxidation, through contact with atmospheric air, is effected, and the amount of F8203 is adjusted accordingly. This is especially the case in a batch operation conducted in a furnace of the open-arc or Heroult type.

In the specific operation set forth and claimed in the companion application Serial No. 716,433 (Patent No. 2,098,176) there is, so to speak. selective reduction of iron, while in the main operation described herein there is effected both a selective reduction of iron 0! the ore and a selective oxidation of the chromium oi the ierrochromium metal used. The result is an exchange: the chromium oi the metal goes into and enriches the ore and iron from the ore joins that in the metal.

Synthetic ores made in accordance with the invention described herein are readily reduced in the ordinary manner to ierrochromium oi the desired chromiunniron ratio and can be used in making low-carbon ferrochromium by reduction .with ferrosilicon or ferrochrome silicon.

Those products containing very high percentages 01' calcium chromite are especially suitable for the production of chromates. Thus, when one synthetic ore produced by my process, and high in calcium chromite, was admixed with lime and roasted, in the presence oi moisture, there was an ample production of calcium chromate, readily leached from the roasted product. 0n addition of some sulfuric acid, the roasted product gave leachings of calcium bichromate. From the bichromate, other chromates can be made. Thus a solution of chromic acid can be made by precipitation oi the lime in solution as calcium sullate.

In many instances, (as in Example I, given hereinbelow) the purpose is to secure a final ore product consisting to a very high extent oi calcium chromite; that is to say, to approximate the ideal reaction given hereinabove, and to secure the reduction and removal of iron from the ore treated in the beneficiating step to as complete an extent as possible.

Naturally there are difliculties in the way of producing a pure calcium chromite product directly, apart from its high'melting point. One

is that it requires a pure gangue-free ore. Gangue components not slagged oil join the chromite. There are also mechanical diillculties in the way of eflecting complete reduction and removal of iron under practical working conditions and within a practical operating time.

When complete reduction and removal of iron in making a synthetic or beneflciated ore is aimed at. there must be sufficient chromium or other reducing agent present to eil'ect this complete reduction, and there must be a suflicient amount of added CaO or other base present in the system to ensure the formation of basic chromite. Due regard must of course be paid to any carbon present in the metal concentrate employed as a reducing agent, which for this purpose maybe a high-carbon alloy, and also to the presence of any material such as silicon, which may tend to consume preferentially a portion of theCaO employed.

It will be understood, however, that in many instances extremely advantageous results maybe secured without attempting to get rid of iron completely. In every aspect of my invention, however, conditions are so regulated and adjusted as to remove, as slag, the gangue present in the ore employed to furnish the metal concentrate, the separation between metal and slag being carried to as great an extent as is feasible. There is little point in securing a recovery of less than per cent of the recoverable metals, iron and chromium, present in the ore so used.

Also in every aspect of my invention, the conditions are so regulated and controlled, insofar as the second or beneflciating step is concerned, as to secure as iinal product a synthetic ore having a high percentage content of Cl'zOs, and a higher CrzFe ratio then the raw ore. Enough reducing agent and enough base must always be present to effect this result. Moreover, it is always desirable to employ enough reducing agent to secure a final ore melt having a CrzFe ratio at least as high as that present in standard ferrochromium, and advantageously equal to 70:30 or higher.

In my copending application Serial No. 716,433, the use of a submerged arc furnace was stressed, the operation being continuous in the sense that the current remains on continuously and the furnace is kept charged with ore, although charging and tapping operations are intermittent. As regards the initial reduction step, the use of a submerged-arc type furnace, operating continuously in the manner described, is ordinarily advantageous. The same is true of the beneflciating step, where CrzFe ratios of the order of from 5:1 to 10:1 in the final synthetic ore product are desired. However, where it is desired to manufacture a final synthetic ore having a higher CrzFe ratio, say about 10: 1, and to remove iron as selectively and completely as possible, batch operation and the use of a furnace of the open-arc or Heroult type are advantageous. This makes for a somewhat higher cost'of operation but the higher cost is Justifled by the higher C'r:Fe ratio secured in the synthetic ore product. When batch operh tion is used in the beneficiating step, longer refining times will of course give higher improvements in the final Crib ratios.

Example I In this specific example of my invention I obtained a ferrochromium metal concentrate. unsalable as ferrochromium but useful in the second stage of 'my process, by first reducing a low grade chromite iron ore analyzing as follows:

The reduction was effected in an electric furnace of the submerged-arc type, in the presence of 14 parts of 08.0 and 15 parts of coke (05 per cent fixed carbon) per parts of ore. In the reduction, coke was present in excess at all times, the object being to take care of the C0: present in the ore, and to eflect as complete reduction of all of the iron and all of the chromium as is feasible.

From the operation described, there was obtained a slag amounting to 65 per cent of the original charge, and a metal concentrate containing 42 'per cent chromium, 48 per cent iron. 3 per cent silicon and 'l per cent carbon, the chromiumziron ratio being 0.87: 1. The slag contained 1.5 per cent Cr:O:.

100 parts of this metal concentrate were then employed as a reducing agent for the improvement' of 720 parts of an are having a chromiumziron ratio of 2.3:1'. in the presence of 370 parts of Cat). The ore beneficiated in this step had the following analysis: I

Per cent CHO: 33.80 Iron oxide (calculated as FeO) 12.6 A: 28 3 MgO 14 3 s10, 8.5 CaO 2.0

The beneficiation step was conducted in the batch manner herein described, that is to say, in an electric furnace of the open-arc or Heroult time.

From the specific operation described, I obtained 1181 parts of a glassy ore melt, having a chromiumdron ratio of 20:1, and analyzing as follows:

Per cent CnO; 28.! Iron oxides (calculated as FeO) 0.79 MgO 9.20 Also: 18.00

810: 0.80 CaO 34.00

This ore melt was readily reduced in the ordinary manner to give a ferrochromium of superior grade. There was also obtained a byproduct metal amounting to 124 parts and containing 8 per cent chromium and about 4 per cent carbon.

It will be observed that enrichment of the chromiunuiron ratio in the beneficiated ore was effected by employing a concentrate which itself had a. definitely inferior chromium:iron ratio.

The ore employed in the beneilciating step in this example was high in Also; content. and, therefore, required the use of a rather large amount of CaO. For that reason, the actual CrsO: content of the final ore melt is somewhat reduced, being 26.7 per cent as compared with 33.6 per cent CraO: in the ore used. However. this reduction is not serious in view of the greatly heightened CrzFe ratio.

As has been indicated elsewhere in this speciflcation, if the beneflclating step is carried out in a submerged arc furnace, in a continuous manner, the operation is less expensive but the final ore melt is lower in Cr:Fe ratio than is true where batch operation is used in this step. However, the CrzFe ratio of the final ore melt can always be improved as compared with the Cr:F e ratio of the original ore.

While in this instance, as is preferred, a sumcient amount of the ferrochromium metal concentrate was employed to furnish sufllcient chromium for the reduction of theiron contained in the ore and displaced by Geo from the chromite in the ore, it should be noted that wherever a lesser amount of the metal concentrate is available, coke or other reducing agent may be added to supplement the reducing eifect of the metal concentrate, so as to insure that the total amount of reducing agent present shall be sumcient to effect reduction of iron from the ore to the desired extent, that is to say, to such extent as will yield an ore melt of the desired chromiunuircn ratio. But the total amount of reducing agent present is always limited to avoid carrying an excessive amount of Cr into the byproduct metal; the best results are secured, insofar as batch operation is concerned, when the amounts of reducing agent and CaO used are such that the byproduct iron contains less than 10 per cent 'Cr.

It will be recognized that carbon and silicon present in the metal concentrate are also effective as reducing agents in the second or beneficiating step. As a matter of fact, silicon may be used in other forms, that is to say, in the form of the silicon alloys, or silicides, and aluminum may also be used, the proportions being such as ,to selectively reduce iron from the ore and to leave the chromium oxide for the most part unreduced.

Example 11 In this example, two separate portions of the same ore were used in the first or reducing step and in the second or 'beneficiating step, this ore respectively, having a 1.42:1 ratio of Cr:Fe, and analyzing as follows:

Percent CX'aOs 27.1 Iron oxides (calculated as M) 15.9 A1203"; 4.0 MgO 28.3 810:- 18.5 C: 6.0

Pe'rcent CrzO's 1.5 M80 56 S10: 32.! A1203 8.3

The metal obtained in this step had the following composition:

Percent Chromium 56.3 Iron 36.4 Carbon 8.0 Silicon 3.0

It will be noted that 100 per cent of the total Fe content and about 95 per cent 0! the total Cr content were recovered in this operation. It will also be noted that in view of the high content of MgO (or MgCOz) in the ore, it was unnecessary to add lime in the direct reduction step.

In the second or beneficiating step, a second portion of the same ore, amounting to 700 parts by weight, was fused in the presence of 86 parts 01' CaO and 100 parts of the metal concentrate produced in the first step. This step was conducted in a batch manner, in a furnace of the open-arc type, using a relatively short (and hence highly economical) refining time.

From this, step there were recovered 108 parts of byproduct iron containing 4.7 per cent chromium, and 653 parts of a glassy ore melt, having a chromium:iron ratio of 6.8:1 and analyzing as follows:

Percent C1303 38.6 Iron oxides (calculated as FeO) 4.9 MgO 25.6 A120; 3.8 S: 15.8 CaO 11.0

It will be noted that in this example, the CraOs content of the final ore melt was higher than that of the original ore, the Cram in the final ore melt being present largely as magnesium chromite.

When the second step is conducted in a continuous manner, in a submerged-arc type furnace, a similar CrzF'e ratio (up to say 10: l) is obtainable, and at a somewhat lower cost.

With batch operation, in a furnace of the open-arc or Heroult type, but using a longer refining time for the beneficiating step, further improvement in the CrzFe ratio of the final ore melt can be obtained, at a somewhat higher cost.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that considerable flexibility is possible, one of the objects achieved by means of my process being to secure an economic balance between the treatment of two ores of different grade. It will further be obvious to those skilled in the art that while I have described my invention in detail, my invention is not limited to such illustrative examples and details except in accordance with the claims hereinafter made.

What I claim is:

1. A process of utilizing natural chrome iron ore in the production of chromium and chromium alloys which comprises reducing one portion of said ore to produce a chromium-iron alloy,

continuously fusing another portion of said ore in contact with said alloy in a molten condition, the proportions of ore and alloy, the temperature and the time of contact being sufficient to effect a substantial amount of reduction of iron from the fused ore by oxidation of chromium from the alloy with a substantial increment of chromium oxid in said ore, separating a low-chromium, high iron metal from the high-chromium fused ore, and smelting said high-chromium ore with a reducing agent so as to obtain a metal containing more than '70 per cent chromium.

2. A process which comprises making ferrochromium by reduction of substantially all the iron and chromium of natural chrome iron ore, continuously oxidizing the chromium of said ferrochromium under basic conditions by a metallic oxid in such an amount and at such a temperatureas to form a fused basic chromite ore containing chromium oxid and iron oxid in a rain. of i on to chromium less than 23 to '77 and to leave an iron metal low in chromium and separating the fused ore from the metal.

3. The process of treating natural ferrous chromite orefor production of an artiflcialore with a heightened ratio of chromium to iron and with production of metallic iron as a byproduct which comprises continuously fusing such an ore in the presence of sufllcient added base to displace a substantial amount of the ferrous oxid in combination with chromic oxid, reducing the displaced ferrous oxid to metal by means of carbon contained in a carbon-rich alloy and separating the metal from the fused melt, whereby a melt is obtained rich in chromite of the added base, low in iron and of basic nature.

4. The process of treating natural ferrous chromite ore for production of an artificial ore with a heightened ratio of chromium to iron and with production of metallic iron as a byproduct which comprises continuously fusing sucl'ran ore in the presence of sufficient added base to displace a substantial amount of the ferrous oxid in combination with chromic oxid, reducing the displaced ferrous oxid to metal by means of ferrochromium containing carbon and separating the metal from the fused melt, whereby a melt is obtained rich in chromite of the added base. low in iron and of basic nature.

5. In the process of claim 2, oxidizing the chromium of the ferrochromium at the expense of the iron oxid of natural chrome iron ore so as to form a beneflciated chrome ore containing an increment of chromium oxid and a decrement of iron oxid.

6. In the process of chromium of the ferrochromium by iron oxid.

7. In the process of claim 2, oxidizing the chromium of the ferrochromium by iron ore.

8. The process of treating natural ferrous chromite ore for production of an artificial ore with a heightened ratio of chromium to iron and with production of metallic iron as a byproduct which comprises continuously fusing suchan ore in the presence of suflicient added base to dis place a substantial amount of the ferrous oxid in combination with chromic oxid, reducing the displaced ferrous oxid to metal by means of silicon and separating the metal from the fused melt, whereby a melt is obtained rich in chromite of the added base, low in iron and of basic nature.

9. The process of treating natural ferrous chromite ore for production of an artificial ore with a heightened ratio of chromium toiron and with production of metallic iron as a byproduct which comprises continuously fusing such an ore in the presence of sufficient added base to, displace a substantial amount of the ferrous oxid in combination with chromic oxid, reducing the displaced ferrous oxid to metal by means of sillcon contained in a silicon alloy and separating the metal from the fused melt. whereby a melt is obtained rich in chromite of the added base, low in iron and of basic nature.

10. The process of making a synthetic calcium chromite ore, which comprises reducing achromite ore to obtain at least an 80 per cent recovery of ferrochrome metal therefrom, in the presence of sufficient slag-forming ingredients to convert the gangue of the ore to a slag low in metallic values, discarding the slag, fusing the metal thereby recovered in the prese e of a chromite ore and added CaO, to replace nd reduce iron oxide from the ore. thereby forming calcium chromite while also oxidizing chromium oi the metal into calcium chromite, and separating as claim 2, oxidizing the final products a ferrous metal low in chromium and an improved basic ore having a higher CnFe ratio, and containing a higher percentage of Cr in chromite form, than the original chromite ore.

11, The process of making a synthetic calcium chromite ore. which comprises reducing a chromite ore to obtain at least ,an 80 per cent recovery of ferrochrome metal therefrom, in the presence of sufficient slag-forming ingredients to convert the gangue of the ore to a slag low in metallic values, discarding the slag, fusing the metal thereby recovered in the presence of a chromite ore and added CaO, to replace and reducelron oxide from the ore, thereby forming calcium chromite while also oxidizing chromium of the metal into calcium chromite, and separating as final products a ferrous metal low in chromium and an improved basic ore substantially free from FeO and containing a higher percentage of Cr, in the form of calcium chromite than the original chromite ore.

12. The process of making an improved chromite ore suitable for direct reduction to ferrochromium of marketable grade, which comprises reducing a low grade chromite ore to metal, discarding the gangue of the ore in the form of a slag, fusing a more concentrated chromite ore in the presence of the thereby recovered metal and added lime to replace and reduce FeO from said ore, the proportions of ore, metal reducing agent and lime being such as to produce an ore melt having a heightened chromiumziron ratio and a heightened Cr content, Or being present in the form of a chromite, and separating the thereby improved ore and a ferrous metal low in chromium. i

13. The process of making an improved chromite ore suitable for direct reduction to ferrochromium of marketable grade, which comprises reducing a low-grade chromite ore to metal, discarding the gangue of the ore in the form of a slag, fusing a more concentrated chromite ore having a CrzFe ratio lower than 2:1 in the presence of the thereby recovered metal and added lime to replace and reduce FeO from said ore, the proportions of ore, metal reducing agent and lime being such as to produce an ore metal having a CrzFe ratio higher than 2:1 and a heightened Cr content, Cr being present in the form of a chromite, and separating the thereby improved ore and a ferrous metal low in chmmium.

14. The process of making an improved chromite ore suitable for direct reduction to ferrochromium of marketable grade, which comprises fusing a chromite ore in the presence of a ferrochrome metal and added lime, to replace and reduce FeO from said ore, the amount of lime being such as to combine as calcium chromite with the CraOa originally present as FeO.CraOs in the ore and from which FeO is reduced by chromium contained in said metal. and with CraOa produced by oxidation of said chromium, and the total reducing agent present being insuflicient to efl'ect substantial reduction of CriO: from the calcium chromite formed, thereby producing an ore melt having a heightened chromiumziron ratio and a heightened Cr content, and separating the thereby improved ore and a ferrous metal low in chromium. 1

15. The process of making an improved chromite ore suitable for direct reduction of ferrochromium of marketable grade, which comprises fusing a chromite ore in the presence of iron, chromium, carbon and added lime, the

proportions of ore, chromium, carbon and lime being controlled to eifect replacement of FeO in the ore by Geo, reduction of replaced li'eO to iron, and oxidation of chromium to CaO.CraOa.,

without reducing CHO: present in the ore to any substantial extent, and separating as final products a ferrous metal low in chromium and an ore melt having a heightened chromiumziron ratio and a heightened content of Cr, in chromite form.

16. The process of making an improved chromite ore suitable for direct reduction to ferrochromium oi marketable grade, which comprises reducing a low grade chromite ore to metal, discarding the gangue of the are in the form of a slag, fusing a second batch of chromite ore in the presence of the thereby recovered metal and added lime to transfer chromium from said metal, as calcium chromite, into the fused ore, while transferring iron from the ore into the metal. and separating the low-chromium ferrous metal and the ore, rich in calcium chromite, thereby obtained.

17. The process of making a calcium chromite ore substantially free from iron oxide, which comprises reducing a chromite ore of low CnOa content but having a high CrzFe ratio, to obtain a substantially complete recovery of ferrochrome metal therefrom, in the presence of sufllcient slagforming ingredients to convert the gangue of the ore to a slag substantially free from metallic values, discarding the slag, fusing the metal thereby removed in the presence of a more concentrated chromite ore and added CaO, to replace and reduce iron oxide from the ore, thereby forming calcium chromite while also oxidizing chromium of the metal into the ore melt as calcium chromite. and separating as iinai products a ferrous metal low in chromium and an improved basic ore substantially free from I'eO and containing a higher percentage of Cr, in chromite form, than either of the original chromite ores.

1B. The process of making an improved chromite ore suitable for direct reduction to ferrochromium of marketable grade, which comprises fusing a chromite ore having a CrzFe ratio less than 2:1 in the presence of suillcient amounts of chromium, in the form of a ierrochrome metal, and added lime, to replace and reduce enough FeO from said are to raise the CrzFe ratio of the ore melt to a value of at least 70:30, without reducing the Cr content of the ore melt.

19. The process of selectively reducing iron from a chromite ore unsuitable for direct reduction to ferrochrornium oi marketable grade, to convert it into a new concentrated synthetic chromite ore suitable for direct reduction to ferrochromium of marketable grade, fusing said ore in the presence of a ferrochrome metal, and added lime, in such proportions as to permit conversion of ferrous chromite in the ore to calcium chromite with reduction of iron and conversion of chromium in said metal to calcium chromite. while restraining reduction of chromium oxide, and separating the combined calcium chromites thereby formed as an ore melt from the molten iron present in the added metal and reduced from the ore treated.

20. In a process of making an improved chromite ore by fusing said ore in the presence of a reducing agent and added CaO. to replace and reduce iron oxide from the ore, thereby forming calcium chromite, and separating as final products a ferrous metal low in chromium and an improved basic ore having a higher Crzie ratio than the original ore, the improvement which comprises simultaneouslyenriching the are in Cr content by employing as at least a portion of said reducing agent a chromium-containing metal and controlling the amount of CaO to efiect an oxidation of chromium contained in said metal into the ore. as calcium chromite.

MARVIN J. UDY.

,CERTEIGAI'E OF QORRECTION.

Patent llo. 2,127,071;-

' August 16, 1958.

mnvm J. mar.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the print ed of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

specification Page 6, second column, line 1;.7, claim 13, for theword "metal read melt; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein -that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office'- Signed and sealed this 15th day of September, A. D. 1958.

(Soul) Henry Van Arsdal e Acting Commie sioner of Patents.

proportions of ore, chromium, carbon and lime being controlled to eifect replacement of FeO in the ore by Geo, reduction of replaced li'eO to iron, and oxidation of chromium to CaO.CraOa.,

without reducing CHO: present in the ore to any substantial extent, and separating as final products a ferrous metal low in chromium and an ore melt having a heightened chromiumziron ratio and a heightened content of Cr, in chromite form.

16. The process of making an improved chromite ore suitable for direct reduction to ferrochromium oi marketable grade, which comprises reducing a low grade chromite ore to metal, discarding the gangue of the are in the form of a slag, fusing a second batch of chromite ore in the presence of the thereby recovered metal and added lime to transfer chromium from said metal, as calcium chromite, into the fused ore, while transferring iron from the ore into the metal. and separating the low-chromium ferrous metal and the ore, rich in calcium chromite, thereby obtained.

17. The process of making a calcium chromite ore substantially free from iron oxide, which comprises reducing a chromite ore of low CnOa content but having a high CrzFe ratio, to obtain a substantially complete recovery of ferrochrome metal therefrom, in the presence of sufllcient slagforming ingredients to convert the gangue of the ore to a slag substantially free from metallic values, discarding the slag, fusing the metal thereby removed in the presence of a more concentrated chromite ore and added CaO, to replace and reduce iron oxide from the ore, thereby forming calcium chromite while also oxidizing chromium of the metal into the ore melt as calcium chromite. and separating as iinai products a ferrous metal low in chromium and an improved basic ore substantially free from I'eO and containing a higher percentage of Cr, in chromite form, than either of the original chromite ores.

1B. The process of making an improved chromite ore suitable for direct reduction to ferrochromium of marketable grade, which comprises fusing a chromite ore having a CrzFe ratio less than 2:1 in the presence of suillcient amounts of chromium, in the form of a ierrochrome metal, and added lime, to replace and reduce enough FeO from said are to raise the CrzFe ratio of the ore melt to a value of at least 70:30, without reducing the Cr content of the ore melt.

19. The process of selectively reducing iron from a chromite ore unsuitable for direct reduction to ferrochrornium oi marketable grade, to convert it into a new concentrated synthetic chromite ore suitable for direct reduction to ferrochromium of marketable grade, fusing said ore in the presence of a ferrochrome metal, and added lime, in such proportions as to permit conversion of ferrous chromite in the ore to calcium chromite with reduction of iron and conversion of chromium in said metal to calcium chromite. while restraining reduction of chromium oxide, and separating the combined calcium chromites thereby formed as an ore melt from the molten iron present in the added metal and reduced from the ore treated.

20. In a process of making an improved chromite ore by fusing said ore in the presence of a reducing agent and added CaO. to replace and reduce iron oxide from the ore, thereby forming calcium chromite, and separating as final products a ferrous metal low in chromium and an improved basic ore having a higher Crzie ratio than the original ore, the improvement which comprises simultaneouslyenriching the are in Cr content by employing as at least a portion of said reducing agent a chromium-containing metal and controlling the amount of CaO to efiect an oxidation of chromium contained in said metal into the ore. as calcium chromite.

MARVIN J. UDY.

,CERTEIGAI'E OF QORRECTION.

Patent llo. 2,127,071;-

' August 16, 1958.

mnvm J. mar.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the print ed of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

specification Page 6, second column, line 1;.7, claim 13, for theword "metal read melt; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein -that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office'- Signed and sealed this 15th day of September, A. D. 1958.

(Soul) Henry Van Arsdal e Acting Commie sioner of Patents. 

